[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]-How Naomi Sipus has built a booming business from the comfort of her home!
Naomi Sipus is a stay-at-home mom to three beautiful children while also running a very successful business, School Pride Accessories. We are super excited to feature Naomi and learn more about her business since working with Basic Bananas!
Please give a background of who you are and your business
I‘ve always been interested in sewing and making clothes, not the fashion part of it, more of the technical construction. Originally my business was manufacturing of school uniforms. I‘m a seamstress and professional machinist. I was given an awesome opportunity to sample a product and to become a new uniform supplier for a group of private schools. As the schools grew, so did my orders, so much so that I was making hundreds of these jackets and then given the opportunity for new products, summer dresses, winter skirts and pinafores.
It was time for me to outsource some of the manufacture. I kept running my business supporting six schools and gaining more opportunity with a couple state schools until I met my husband and had kids. They are my life and being diagnosed with Hashimotos disease (underachieve thyroid) made it clear that I just didn‘t have the energy to do it all. So I stopped.
Then after having my third child, I really wanted to do something to contribute to the family and get crafty again. So I thought what could I do from home and still be there for my growing family? I‘m not even sure where I got the idea to make school hair accessories out of school fabric, but that‘s what I did. Scrunchies were the only uniform accessory that was around in my day. So I thought to myself, what would girls like to wear in their hair that was accepted by the school? After that, the rest is history and my stay-at-home business was born!
What are you most proud of in your business/biggest accomplishment? What do you love most about running your business?
I am most proud of making an excellent quality accessory that has 100% guarantee satisfaction. I am very proud of making my accessories in Australia. I love Australian made and my dream is to bring clothing manufacturing back into Australia. I love that I am making a difference to how kids take care of their appearance at school. I am proud of always being me and being real. I am proud of that I keep going even when things turn out wrong or a door closes.
The thing I love most about running my business is being able to be there for my children. I work from home and have my studio set up with all my equipment. I can work the hours that suit me best and be there for my kids. I also love it when my customers get their orders and post excitedly on Facebook about how much they love them. That makes me feel good and there‘s nothing more I want than for my customers to be happy.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row gap=”10″][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]What made you decide to work with Basic Bananas?
You know when you know you‘ve met your life partner? Well it was kind of like that with Basic Bananas. I had gone to heaps of different seminars trying to find something that was going to help me gain momentum with my business.
When I went to my first Blast Off session in Melbourne three years ago, I heard both Franziska and Christo speak. The thing that stuck out the most was towards the end when Christo was talking about the Clever Bunch program, he said, ‘We want to know firstly if we can help you, this is not about doing another course, we don‘t just accept anyone.”
Their selectivity of whom they bring into their group and making sure they will be of benefit to the business owner and the others in the group was huge! No time wasters here, only people who really want to see you excel!
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]What is one thing you have implemented throughout the Clever Bunch that is working really well?
You‘re asking me for one thing? Oh, my goodness, everything!!
Everything I‘ve implemented from the Clever Bunch has worked really well for my business. One thing that stands out most and what I‘m most proud of is my Google ranking. When Christo first taught SEO to me, I didn‘t understand what it was at all. He would go onto explaining it time and time again and I still did not grasp SEO. Christo was super patient and never gave up on me even when I asked him to explain it to me so many different times until one day I finally got it!
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
“In business, where ever you can, hire a professional. Don‘t try and do everything yourself. A professional knows what they know. And that was from a friend of mine whom I met at fashion school.” RMIT, Sarah Jackson.
If you could give a fellow business owner one tip, what would it be?
Be authentic. You are nothing without your team. People matter. Always maintain your integrity.
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[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]What‘s your most embarrassing moment?
When I was pregnant with my second child, my waters broke or at least I thought. I walked out the front of our house yelling to my husband to come home because I thought the baby was coming! Come to find out, nothing happened or progressed it just happened I peed my pants!
If you could have a Skype call with anyone in the world who would it be?
Janine Allis – the founder of Boost
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]How can everyone get into touch with you?
Website: Www.schoolprideaccessories.com.au
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/schoolprideaccessories/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/school-pride
Instagram: @schoolprideaccessories
Twitter: @School_Pride[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]